Combination motor-meter vapor condenser



- K. w. E. HAMANN COMBINATION MoToR METER VAPOR coNnENsER Filed oct. To,` 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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A TTORNEY.

Sept. 28 1926. 1,601,529

K. W. E. HAMANN ooMBINATmN MOTOR METER VAPOR coNDENsER Filed oct. 10, 1925 z'sheetssheet a CTI Cil

iatented Sept. 28, i926.

KURT W'. E. EAVANN, OF TRUMBULL, CONNECTICUT.

COMBEATION lvIDTOwliiIETER VAPOR CONDENSER.

Application iled roctober 10, 1925. Serial No. .$1,865.

This invention relates to a condensing device adapted primarily for use in connection with the radiators of automo-biies. n

The primary object of this invention is the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of a condenser for use in connection with automobile radiators, having associated therewith a meter designed to indicate the degree of temperature of the fluid in the radiator, to which the device is attached.

lt is well known that in automobiles employing a circulating iiuid to keep the engine thereof cool, that the iiuid often becomes heated to the boiling point and when this occurs it is converted toa vapor and this vapor is allowed toesoape into the atmosphere and is lost. Owing to this condition the radiator must be frequently relilled with the cooling fluid and it is an object of this invention to catch and condense the vapor resulting from the heated fluid and restore the same to the radiator, thus maintaining a fixed quantity of the fluid in the radiator at all times.

It is often desirable to know the temperature of the cooling iiuid in the radiator, and in order to keep the operator of the vehicle acquainted with this fact at all times devices commonly known as* motor meters have been devised which will indicate at all times the temperature of the cooling fluid. These devices are placed in the iilling opening of the radiator where they will be at allN times in full view of the driver of the vehicle. As applicants condense-r device is also fixed in the filling opening of the radiator, it is apparent that one must be discarded for the other. To overcome this difiiculty a new and novel construction of motor meter has been devised and used in combination with this condenser device so that the two may be placed into position or removed as a single unit.

ifi further object of the invention is the provision, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, of a condenser, device for use upon. automobile radiators having combined therewith a meter for indicating the temperature of the iiuid within the radiator, which will 4be neat, attractive and ornament-al, safe and reliable, and inexpensive to manufacture and set up.

The invention will'be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming* a part of this specification, with the understandin-g thatthe invention is' not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modiiications mark no material departurev from the salient features of the invention as expressed inthe appended claims.

'ln the drawings `Figure 1 shows the device embodying this invention, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section. v

Figure 2 is a sect-ion 2`2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section of the device.

Figure lshows ,ar-slight modification of the structure shown in Figures l to 3, this figure being .partly in section.

Figure 5 l taken upon the line is a section taken 5-5 of Figure l and,

Figure Gshows still another modification of the foregoing/figures, the device being shown in connection with the upper `portion of the radiator. g

Referring new to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several. views, the deviceI embodying this invention comprises, in all for-ms, a main' body portion indicated generally vby the numeral l. This body l is, as shown, a relatively long cylindrical body, although applicant does not wish to confine himself tolbodiesof cylindrical forms, but desires it to be known that bodies of any-other appropriate form may Abe used, and as shown, this body is open at its lower end and is provided with the interior threads 2 whereas the upper portion thereof is provided with the relatively thick partition or head 3 having the annular upstanding liange L formed upon the top there- Yof as shown. The interior of this flange is threaded as indicated by the numeral The body l has formed integral therewith the vdiametrically oppositely positioned and oppositely directed substantially horizontal arms 6, which arms .extend from the body from that portion adjacent the head 3, and the outer ends of thesefarms are turned upwardly as indicated at 7. Each of the .arms is provided with the longitudinaily extending bore 8 which bore extends into the head 3 of the body andy is directed downwardly and opens .out upon the under side of ythe upon the line head intothe interior of the body as shown. These bores as shown open out upon the under side ot the head adjacent each other` and each has iitted thereinto the downwardly opening tube 9. The outer end ot each ofy the bores 8 opens through the upwardly directed end 7 ot the arm and at the outer end each ot the bores is ot materially greater diameter and the interior wall of each is threaded as indicated at 10. Into this threaded bore at the outer end of each ot the arms 6 there is iitted the threaded reduced portion 11 of a cap 12 the top ot which cap is provided with outlet apertures 13, while the interior thereof, which constitutes an expansion chamber, is provided with transversely extending superposed battle plates 14.

rlhe head or partition 3 ot the body 1 is provided with a central aperture 15 ot relatively large diameter and a pair of smaller apertures 16 and 17 respectively, the aperture or passage 17 being provided with a tube 1S which extends beyond the lower side of the head into the interior of the chamber 19 ot the body. The passage 16 is Jformed adjacent the tubes 9 as is shown in Figure 1.

Formed against the inner wall ot the body 1 within the chamber 19, is a substantially semi-cylindrical partition 2O the top edge of which merges with the under side ot the head 3 and encloses the inlet tubes 9 and the lower open end of the passage 16. Means is provided whereby a plug member 21 may be employed to close the lower end ot the chamber 22 which is set up between the partition and the side wall ot the body and this plug is provided with a bore 23 by means of which the chamber may be drained into the chamber 19. This bore is controlled by the screw valve 24 which is threaded through the wall of the body and through the plug to extend the inner end thereof into the bore as shown in Figure 1.

Threaded into the lower end of the body 1 and engaging the threads 2, is a bottom or pan 25 which is provided with the threaded tubular extension 26 adapted to be projected through the top of the radiator cap, a portion of which is indicated by the numeral 27. Threaded on to this extension is a clamp nut 26 and between the clamp nut and the underside ot the cap 27 is a washer 29. When the nut 28 is drawn upwardly upon the eXtension 26 it will cause the pan 25 to be drawn downwardly upon the top of the radiator cap thus securing the body 1 in fixed position.

It will be seen that the structure can thus be securely clamped to the radiator cap and the cap put in position over the filling spout in the usual manner.

The extension 26 is provided with a slot 30 Jfor the entrance of vapor from the radiator into the chamber 19 through the eXtension. The lower end ot the extension has secured thereover the cap 31 between which cap and the said extension a packing washer 32 is positioned.

This cap 31 is provided with al central aperture and through this aperture a thermometer protecting' sleeve 33 is extended, the upper end ot which is threaded as shown and adapted to extend through the central passage 15 in the head 3. The sleeve 33 is provided with a locking nut and washer 34 and 35 respectively which are designed to bear against the underside of the head 3 while the upper end ot the sleeve is provided with a second locking nut and washer 36 and 37 respectively which are drawn tightly down against the top of the head 3 thus rigidly holding the sleeve 33 in position. The lower end ot the sleeve 33 is provided with the enlarged open head 38 and to this head 3S al closure cap 39 is removably secured as shown.

Placed within the sleeve 33 is a glass mercury containing tube 40, the constricted upper end 4l ot which extends a substantial distance above the end ot the sleeve 33 while the lower or bulb end 42 ot the tube is positioned in the head 33 and covered by the cap 39, and held in position thereby.

Upon the top of the body there is mounted a hollow annular trame device 43 provided with transverse ribs 44 and formed integral with an annular base portion 45 peripherally threaded and designed to engage the threads 5 in the annular portion 4 upon the top ot the body of the device. rlChe annular structure 43 is thus held in upright position as shown and this structure is provided with inwardly extending iianges 46 against which danges upon the front and back of the device the pair ot spaced segmental plates 47 are secured by means ot the transversely ez;- tending tie bolts 48.

151s is shown the constricted upper portion 41 ot the mercury tube 46 extends upwardly into the central portion of the annular member 43 and upon each side of the annular member and upon each side ot the constricted portion 41, there is placed a glass plate 49 the upper and lower ends ot which plate bear against the fianges 46 of the annular member while the bevelled side edges thereot have the confronting edges of the spaced plates 47 lying' thereon to maintain it in position. rlhere is thus set up above the head 3 and communicating with the passa-ges therethrough, the enclosed chamber 50 in which vapors from the radiator, upon which the device is mounted, pass, as will be hereinafter set forth.

Surrounding the lower portion ot the body 1 is a spirally wound condenser tube 51, the upper end of which passes through the wall ot the body just beneath the head thereof as indicated at 52 in Figure 3, thence extending upwardly through the head 3 and llO Cil

openinginto the lower partof" the chamber of the upper condensing structure. The lo ver end of the tube 5l passes through the wall of the body 1 at the point indicated by the numeral 53, in Figure 3.

In the structure disclosed by Figure el a slight modification of the foregoing structure is shown, this modification relating to the tube 33 and to the thermometer glass tube 40. All of the other structure of this ligure is the same as that shown in the figures above described. In this modiiication the tube 33 is of materially less length than the tube 33 as shown in F igures 1 and and the glass thermometer tube 40 is correspondingly shorter to fit into this enclosing` tube, thus positioning the mercury bulb fl-2 and head and cap 38 and 39 respectively of the tube 33, within the chamber 19 of the body of the device. None of the structure of this meter and condenser extends through the cap 27 of the radiator filling opening.

Figure 6 shows a still further modification o-f the foregoing structure and in this ligure the thermometer protecting tube 332 is of greater length than the tube 33 shown in Figure 1 as is also the glass thermometer tube (not shown) encased within the tube. In this construction the head 382 and cap 392 extend through the radiator cap and and well into the radiator where it is submerged in the liquid contained in the radiator. The radiator is indicated by the numeral ll. The balance of the' structure of this modification is the same as the structure described in connection with the showing of the other figures.

lVhen the device embodying this invention is placed in position, the usual overiiow tube found in the automobile radiator is closed and a proper opening is made through the top of the filling opening cap 27 to receive the extended lower portion of the device. After the device has been secured in position by means of the clamp nut 23 the radiator cap may be replaced in the usual manner and the device becomes a permanent part of the radiator structure.

In operation, the steam or vapor which is generated by the heating of the fluid in the radiator will pass through the slot 30 and up through the tubular extension 26 into the chamber 19. F rom the chamber the vapor will pass through the tube 18 and also through the spiral tube 51 which is wrapped about the body 1 into the cnamber 50 at the upper part of the device. Very little of the vapor will reach the chamber 50 by way of the tube 51 because it will be condensed within the tube and will flow back into 4the chamber 19 and find its way back to the radiator. The vapor which enters the chamber 5G will be condensed upon the walls thereof and will flow back some entering the chamber 19 and sonic passing' into the chamber 22. In time the chamber 22 will become illedand the fluid filling the same will seal t-he ends of the passages 8 thuspreventing the escape of any vapor therefrom.

In the event that the vapor is generated faster than it can be condensed, it would naturally -collect until the pressure ruptures the device unless a safety release were provided. This safety release is provided in the form of the cap 12 connected to the device by means of the tubular arms 6.

The vapor under pressure will pass through the tube 16 and force some of the fluid from the chamber 22 out through the tubes 8 into the cap 12 thus relieving the pressure. If the pressure is so great that the forcing of a slight amount of the fluid from the chamber 22 into the tubes 8 does not produce the desired results then the fluid can pass through the cap 12 and overflow through the openings 13 therein thus overcoming any possibility of damagingthe device through the increased generation of the steam vapor.

At the same time that the device is operating to condense the vapors entering. the same the thermometer forming a part of the structure will indicate to the driver of the vehicle the temperature of the fluid in the radiator to enable him to know when any additional attention should be given to the radiator or motor.

In view of the Aforegoing description it will be readily seen that there has been provided an unique and novel as well as very serviceable device in the form of a combined vapor condenser and thermometer structure for use as described.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is l. A combined motor meter and vapor condenser, comprising a cylindrical body adapted to be fixed to, and have communication with the interior of, a motor vehicle radiator to receive vapor therefrom, a head in said body having a series of apertures therethrough, an elongated sleeve member extending from the interior of said radiator through an aperture in said head and secured to the head, a thermometer in said, sleeve, and means forming a condensing chamber secured to said head to receive vapor through another of said apertures, and encasing the upper end of said thermometer.

2. A combined motor meter and vapor condenser, comprising a cylindrical body having a multi-apertured head in one end, a bottom removably secured in the lower end of said body and havinga threaded tubular extension adapted to be projected through and into a radiator to convey vapor therefrom into the body, a sleeve of materially less overall diameter than the interior diameter of said extension, adapted to extend from the interior of said radiator through the extension and through one of the apertures in said head and to be secured to said head, a thermometer in and protected by said sleeveV and projecting above the head, and a hollow condenser body having sight windows, secured to the head to receive vapors through one ot the other apertures and encasing and displaying the projected portion of said thermometer through said windows.

3. ln a device of the character set forth, a cylindrical body having a multi-apertured head in one end, a bottom removably secured in the lower end ont said body and having a threaded tubular extension adapted to be projected through and into a radiator to convey v apor therefrom into the body, means forming a chamber within said body having one ot the apertures of said head opening thereinto, the lower portion of said chamber having a drain tube leading into said body, a screw valve' controlling said tube from the exterior ot the body,'a condenser body secured to said head to receive vapor :t'roin the body through the other of said apertures, some of the condensed vapor passing into and filling said chamber, and means forming an expansion chamber eX- teriorly of the body and having tubular connection with said first chamber.

n testimony whereof, I atiix my signature hereto.

KURT W. E. HAMANN. 

